Wire cutting pliers

ABSTRACT

Wire cutting pliers especially suitable for use in the art of orthodontics in which the orthodontist is often required to cut wires in the patient&#39;&#39;s mouth. The wire cutting pliers are provided with portions which grip the severed end of the wire and hold or retain it firmly so that it is removed with the plier.

United States Patent [191 Rubin June 26, 1973 1 WIRE CUTTING PLIERS [76] Inventor: James M. Rubin, 141 W. 17th Street,

New York, N.Y. 10011 22 Filed: Mar. 3, 1971 211 App1.No.: 120,568

[52] US. Cl. 30/124 [51] Int. Cl B26b 17/00 [58] Field of Search 30/124, 134, 135, v 30/186 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,938,266 5/1960 Klein 30/124 183,404 10/1876 L0cke.... 30/134 3/1878 Hale 30/134 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,912,254 9/1970 Germany 30/124 1,036,824 7/1966 Great Britain 30/124 Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters AttorneyBlum, Moscovitz, Friedman & Kaplan [5 7] ABSTRACT Wire cutting pliers especially suitable for use in the art of orthodontics in which the orthodontist is often required to cut wires in the patients mouth. The wire cutting pliers are provided with portions which grip the severed end of the wire and hold or retain it firmly so that it is removed with the plier.

1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJUNZS ms 3,740.844

sum 1 or 2 VHN'IOR. JA M. RUBIN Pmmmmzs m: 3. 740.844

ME! 2 BF 2 ATTORNEYS WIRE CUTTING PLIERS Wire cutting pliers have been known in the art for many years and others have continually sought ways to develope a wire cutting plier which could also grip or retain the severed end of the wire. Efforts in this direction have been moderately effective, especially if the plier is designed to cut and retain a wire of a particular size. Inserts of resilient materials have been placed between the cutting jaws to retain the severed wire end. However, in use the materials lose their resiliency and lose their ability to hold the severed wire end. Other wire cutting and holding pliers with a shearing action have been in use for many years, but the shearing action leaves a short section of the wire extending beyond the cutoff area. This type of cutting plier cannot cut flush to an area. In addition, the holding action of these pliers depends on the swift closure of the plier. If the plier is not closed fast enough, the severed end of the wire springs away. However, once variations in sizes are anticipated, the prior art retaining pliers rapidly lose their effectiveness. Furthermore, many of the prior art retaining devices are either unnecessarily large or in some other way interfere with the operation of the pliers.

The problem of cutting off a length of wire in a patients mouth has long been known in the art of orthodontics. Arch and ligating wires are often severed and, on severing, the free end of the wire has the tendency to fly out and cause discomfort to the patient. Also, orthodontists have found it an annoying problem to locate the lose wire in the patients mouth. While retaining cutting pliers have been tried, they often will not accommodate a range of wire sizes and often will not permit severing to take place at a desired location adjacent to or flush with a bracket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a plier is provided for cutting a range of wire sizes with retaining means operatively mounted on the wire cutting jaws for gripping a cut length of wire while it is being and after it is cut so that removal of the plier also effects removal of the cut length of the wire.

The foregoing is accomplished by providing retaining means or jaws in association with cutting jaws which apply a deflecting force to the wire to grip it and frictionally retain it in the retaining jaws after a length of wire has been cut from a continuous lengeth.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved cutting and retaining plier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cutting plier incorporatingretaining means which are constructed for improved operation.

A Further object of the invention is to provide improved retaining means in association with cutting jaws which apply a frictional retaining force to a length of wire throughout a range of wire sizes.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a wire cutting plier with a frictional retaining means for the severed end of a length ofwire.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a wire cutting plier with a frictional retaining means and cutting jaws that will sever an extending wire flush to a cutoff area.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the plier of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the plier of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 through 6 are sequential views, looking in the direction of arrows 4--4 on FIG. 1, showing a length of wire being severed and retained by a plier of the FIG. 1 construction;

FIG. 7 is a partial front elevational view of a plier constructed in accordance with a second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the plier of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view, at an enlarged scale, taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 7 with a length of wire in position to be severed and retained.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, a plier indicated generally at 11 has the usual handles 12 which are pivoted by means of screw 13 in a known fashion. The ends of the plier are formed with a left jaw 14 and a right jaw 15, with each jaw being integral its respective handle. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the jaws terminates, in this embodiment, in a cutting blade 16, 17 which extends at an angle from the main portion of its respective jaw. Cutting blade 16 is formed as the terminal end of left jaw 14 while cutting blade 17 is formed as the terminal end of right jaw 15. Cutting blades 16 and 17 meet at a cutting edge 18 to define a sharp cutting edge capable of cutting wire such as wire of the type used in art of orthodontics which includes stainless steel wire in a wide range of diameters.

The angular position of cutting blades 16 and 17 with respect to the left and right jaws 14 and 15 permits the cutting blades to be positioned closely adjacent an object such as an arch wire bracket so that a piece of wire extending therefrom can be severed substantially flush with the bracket.

Secured to left jaw 14 and overlying cutting blade 16 is a left retaining jaw 21 which is held in position by any suitable means, such as by screw 22. Likewise, secured to right jaw 15 overlying cutting blade 17 is right retaining jaw 23 secured in position by a screw 24.

A configuration of the retaining jaws and the mode of operation thereof can best be understood by reference to FIGS. 4 through 6. Left retaining jaw 21 includes an anvil portion .25 and an offset face 26. Right retaining jaw 23 is provided with a contacting face 27. As shown in FIG. 4, contacting face 27 is located opposite anvil 25 while offset face 26 is spaced from contacting face 27 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the front faces of cutting blades 16 and 17. The distance between contacting face 27 and offset face 26 in l the direction of separation is indicated by the letter a.

In fabrication of adjustment of the pliers for a range of wire sizes, the distance a is made less than the spacing between the cutting edges 18 of the cutting blades 16 and 17 so that, as the cutting edges of the cutting blades are brought into contact with wire to be to be cut, contact between offset face 26 and the wire and contacting face 27 and the wire will be assured. Of course, the offset, face 26 with one another in view of their lateral offset configuration. The minimum offset identified by the letter b must be at least as great as the diameter of the largest wire to be cut in the size range so that the wire cannot be wedged between the offset portions and damage the plier.

FIG. 4 shows wire when it hasfirst been contacted by the cutting edges of the cutting blades. In this condition, a slight amount of deflection of wire 10 has taken place by contact with contacting face 27 and offset face 26.

In FIG. 5, the jaws have moved closer together and wire 10 is partially severed. The amount of deflection of wire 10 has been wire a definite bend and deflecting it into engagement with anvil portion 25.

When the ,FIG. 6 condition is reached, the wire has been fully severed and the cutting blades 16 and 17 are in contact. Wire 10 within the retaining jaws has been deflected so as to hold the severed portion by the friction applied to it by the retaining jaws." It is not necessary that contacting face 27 be at'any particular distance from anvil portion as the'severed wire portion 10s will be retained as a result of the deflection of the wire dueto the parameters'of the retaining jaws as relates the cutting jaws as hereinabove described. Note that in FIG. 6 there is shown a buccal tube 45 mounted r on wire 10. in order to demonstrate that the cutting pliers can be used to make an absolutely flush cut. When the orthodontist removes the cutting end of the pliers from the patients mouth, he will remove with it the severed piece of wire 10s.

A retaining plier having a modified jaw configuration is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In such embodiment, left jaw 31 and right jaw 32 extend straightt it h respect'to handles 12 and are formed yvith straightscutting blades 33 and 34 respectively meeting ina cutting edge 35. The straight cutting blades can be used flush cut- I The retaining means incorporated in the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 is not limited for use with a plier having straight cutting blades, these shown herein being made to demonstrate that various shapes of cutting I blades and various retaining means configurations are within the scope of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, a left retaining jaw 36 is located behind cutting blade 33 and a right retaining jaw 37 is located behind cutting blade 34; Left retaining jaw 36 is provided with a contacting face 41 disposed opposite a recessed anvil portion 42 on the right retaining jaw 37. Right retaining jaw 37 is also provided with an offset face 43 and a stop-face 44 spanning the central anvil portion 42.

As shown in FIG. 9, the end of contacting face 41 is spaced from offset face 43 across the central axis by a distance indicated by the letter a. Such distance is and contacting face 27 will not interfere greatly increased imparting to the k for cutting opera-. tions that do-not require an angular cutting blade for a at a common line,

smaller, at any spacing of cutting blades 34and 35 than the space between the cutting edges 35 of the cutting blades. This assures that, as the cutting blades are brought together into engagement with wire 10, the wire will be contacted by an engaged between offset face 43 and contacting face 41 to slightly deflect the wire as shown in FIG. 9. Thedeflection of the wire immediately applies a frictional gripping force to the wire for effecting a retention of the wire after the. end of the wire has been severed.

In order to prevent jamming of the wire in the retaining jaws, contacting face 41 is spaced from offset face 43 by a distance b which is determined to be greater than the diameter or size of the largest wire to be cut and retained by the plier.

While a sequence of cutting steps has not been disclosed with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 9, it will be understood that as the cutting jaws are closed to effect'seve riii'g 'of wire 10, the wire will be increasingly deflected by contacting face 41 to deflect a surface of a on the other of the jaws with the spacing between offset portion and contacting face being less than the spacing between the cutting edges of the cutting jaws. The retaining jaw carrying the offset face must also carry'a support portion hereinabove defined as an anvil portion or stop-face to provide a two part area of contact with the second retaining jaw when the contacting face of the first retaining jaw applies a contacting pressure to the wire.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding'description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is alsotobe understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A cutting and retaining plier for wire comprising a first cutting jaw, a second cutting jaw, "a first retaining jaw and a second retaining jaw, said first retaining jaw being movable toward said second retaining jaw in response to movement of said first cutting jaw toward said second cutting jaw, each of said first and second cutting jaws having a generally planar face and a cutting edge in the plane of said planar face, said planar faces being co-planar whereby said cutting edges meet said first and second retaining jaws being located with respect to said cutting jaws on a side of saidcutting jaws remote from said planar faces, said first and second retaining jaws including means for applying a deflecting and retaining force to a cut length of wire for frictionally holding said length of wire after said cutting jaws have severed it from a continuous length of wire whereby said cutting plier is capable of making a flat cut contiguous to an object from which a length of. wire extends with the severed end of the wire being securely held by said retaining jaws for removal of the severed end of the wire by said pliers subsequent to the cutting operation, said first retaining jaw including a contacting face and said second retaining jaw including an off-set face, the spacing between said contacting face and said off-set face being less than the spacing between said cutting edges, said contacting face being laterally spaced from said off-set face, said uration.

i III 

1. A cutting and retaining plier for wire comprising a first cutting jaw, a second cutting jaw, a first retaining jaw and a second retaining jaw, said first retaining jaw being movable toward said second retaining jaw in response to movement of said first cutting jaw toward said second cutting jaw, each of said first and second cutting jaws having a generally planar face and a cutting edge in the plane of said planar face, said planar faces being co-planar whereby said cutting edges meet at a common line, said first and second retaining jaws being located with respect to said cutting jaws on a side of said cutting jaws remote from said planar faces, said first and second retaining jaws including means for applying a deflecting and retaining force to a cut length of wire for frictionally holding said length of wire after said cutting jaws have severed it from a continuous length of wire whereby said cutting plier is capable of making a flat cut contiguous to an object from which a length of wire extends with the severed end of the wire being securely held by said retaining jaws for removal of the severed end of the wire by said pliers subsequent to the cutting operation, said first retaining jaw including a contacting face and said second retaining jaw including an off-set face, the spacing between said contacting face and said off-set face being less than the spacing between said cutting edges, said contacting face being laterally spaced from said off-set face, said second retaining jaw including means spaced from said off-set face for engagement by the surface of the wire to be retained by the retaining jaws, said engagement means being spaced from said contacting face a distance that is greater than the spacing between said cutting edges at any relative position of said cutting edges, said engagement means including a generally flat anvil portion joined to said off-set face in an L-shape configuration. 